On the other side of the country, Nathan Scott readjusted his elbow as he watched the basketball sink effortlessly through the hoop. He was now in his first season of playing professional basketball. Each week, he sat down at his desk and looked over the same playbook he had lived by in high school. Sometimes it was hard, and sometimes it was an amazing blessing. It gave him a chance to remember what had been. It gave him a chance to think about the things he didn't let himself think about much these days. More than anything, it gave him a chance to be with her again, if only in his mind.
Everyone in his life knew of her, but few ever spoke about her anymore. They didn't think anything of it really. They just assumed that they knew what his life was now. They assumed that he was happily married with a beautiful son. No one knew that he cared about her, at least not as more than his brother's girlfriend or one of his old friends. He heard frequent updates on her life with Lucas from his brother and his own wife. Haley still adored Peyton. Neither of them knew how Nathan still felt about Peyton. They couldn't. When life had happened to them all those years ago, he had shut that part of his heart off from everyone else but himself. Since he signed his contract, he hadn't tried to reach out to her again. In fact, it was the last time he had even set foot in Tree Hill.
"Alright, that's it for today, guys!" the coach called out as the players dispersed and headed toward the locker rooms. "Good practice, Scott."
Nathan nodded in acknowledgement to the coach as he handed the ball off to one of the equipment managers and walked wordlessly off the court. Without a word to anyone, he headed over to his locker to get changed. He pulled off his sweaty practice jersey with one hand while yanking the metal door open with the other. His eyes met her bright green gaze as he looked at the photographs that lined the interior surface. There was one of him with Haley the day their son was born. He stared at his little boy, studying the one image that kept him going day after day like this. Whenever he felt himself slipping even further away from Haley, he only needed to think about his son. He loved that little guy more every day.
There was another photograph. This one was of himself with Lucas. He smiled at the image of the two of them with their arms thrown over each other's shoulder when they went to Charlotte to see the basketball game all those years ago. Meeting Lucas Scott had been one of the hardest things he had ever gone through. For a long time, they had been like best friends, but then they'd had a falling out that neither of them would speak about. He missed what it had been like. No matter what was going on in his life, he had known that he could count on Lucas to be there for him. When everything was going crazy, Nathan could call up Lucas and tell him all his problems. Other than his son and his mother, Luke was the only family Nathan really had. Now that was all gone.
Two more photographs were tucked into the locker. These were the photographs that he hid from the rest of the world. There was a photo of the entire group that last year they'd all been together. Seated on the bleachers was Haley, the girl that he was still pretty sure belonged with Lucas. He was sitting next to her in the picture. Nathan remembered how Lucas had grabbed her hand right before the picture was taken, and he could see the laughed shining in their eyes as they looked at each other. Brooke and Mouth stood behind the two of them. The two of them had always made the most interesting duo of friends. Skillz was by Haley's feet, that cocky smile lighting up his face.
And then, there was the most beautiful girl Nathan Scott had still ever seen. He hadn't realized at it at the time, but Peyton was leaning against Nathan in the photograph. He was staring down at her while she smiled up at him over her shoulder. It was the last time the group had been together and collectively happy at one time. He missed having his friends together. He missed the friendships they'd shared. He missed his brother. He missed his brother's girlfriend.
Peyton was also the subject of his final photograph. He had taken it the last time he had seen her. He wasn't sure why he needed to take it everywhere he went, but he knew that he felt empty without a piece of her with him. It was a beautiful black and white shot of Peyton staring at him over her shoulder. With only her hair framing her face, her silky white skin reflected the natural glow that had been evident that night. For only a moment, Nathan allowed himself to go back to that night. It was the first time in the million hours that had passed that he had allowed himself to relive the night that changed the course of their lives forever.